Tip: A lot of writers are using first person point of view for multiple characters. This can be confusing for the reader. If you do this, be sure to limit the change to chapters and let the reader know at the top of the chapter who we are with. (Chapter 1, Amy. Chapter 2, Jason)

Thought: “I am fascinated by language in daily life…the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth.” – Amy Tan

Teaser: To Teaser your imagination, change something you do. For instance, eat the same flavor of ice cream in three different ways in three different places: straight from the carton, sitting in a bubble bath; out of a goblet in the middle of your backyard; from a cone in the dark. Write down the sensory experiences.
February 19
Today is the birthday of Jose Rivera (Columbian poet, novelist), Andre Breton (French journalist), Kay Boyle (novelist), Carson McCullers (novelist), Stephen Dobyns (poet, novelist), Amy Tan (novelist – The Joy Luck Club)

Tip: Subject-verb agreement – be sure you use the right very for the number of your noun. Examples: the thief, as well as his partner, was shot. (Most people would use “were shot” but if you take out the prepositional phrase, you have one thief, thus “was”. To make it “were”, you’d have to say: the thief and his partner were shot.)

Thought: “The fact is, it’s easier to write than to want to write. Just pick up your pen, put down a word. Any word.” – John Dufresne

Tip: Keep a sensory journal for a week. For example, if Monday is “scent day,” describe in detail three things you smelled that day. If Tuesday is “sound day,” describe in detail three sounds you heard that day. Use this when you’re writing a scene.

Thought: “Write the truth and no one believes you; it’s too alarming. So you might as well make it up.” – Fay Weldon

Teaser: How might your main character react to his or her reflection in a cracked window or a warped mirror?

Tip: Subjunctive mood – this is used when there is a wish or condition that doesn’t fit the facts. It uses the base form of the verb in present tense and “were” in past tense: It’s important that you be (not are) prepared for the storm. If I were (not was) you, I’d stock up now.

Thought: “Words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.” – Ingreid Bengis

Teaser: Begin a story with “I found out something about my grandfather, whom I adored until then.” Or: “How could my grandmother do…”February 24
Today is the birthday of Wilhelm Grimm (Grimm’s Fairy Tales), George Moore (Irish novelist)

Tip: When using “I” or “me” in a sequence, the pronoun goes last: Dan traveled with Jim and me (not me and Jim). Note: in this sequence, the use of “me” and not “I” is needed. You wouldn’t say Dan rode with I, but you would say Dan rode with me.

Thought: “And what you ask, does writing teach us? First and foremost, it reminds us that we are alive and that it is a gift and a privilege, not a right.” – Ray Bradbury

Tip: When an adverb modifies a verb, it usually answers the one of the following: when, where, why, how, how often, to what degree, under what conditions: The mechanic ensures that the cars run smoothly.

Thought: “Once you use those quotation marks, it’s not you the writer talking, it’s you the writer listening.” – Albert Rios

Tip: Pay attention to punctuation, especially periods and commas. Used correctly, they clarify the meaning of your writing. Used incorrectly… could be disastrous.

Thought: “Creative work is play. It is free speculation using the materials of one’s chosen form.” – Stephen Nachmanovitch

Teaser: This is National Tell a Fairy Tale Day. What is your favorite fairy tale or story of all time? Why? What makes it so memorable? Write a character who could fit into the story and rewrite it with that character.February 27
Today is the birthday of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (poet), Angelina Grimke (dramatist, poet), John Steinbeck (novelist, Nobelist), James Farrell (novelist, short stories), Peter DeVries (novelist), Lawrence Durrell (novelist), Irwin Shaw (novelist)

Tip: Try not to edit when you’re writing the first draft. You can always fix it later but getting the words down—that’s what’s important.

Thought: “The creative writer is usually captive to his next book.” Fannie Hurst